Traitors and Enemies
by Jesus.Lives
Summary: MUST READIf you've read any of my others TophZuko foreshadowing. This is what happens before things change from Avatar season 2 to where Zuko joins the Avatar. Dark fic. TWOSHOT. COMPLETE.
1. Traitors

**Before the book 'fire' (or perhaps during) a battle will explode that will change everything for Zuko. The final time where he has no where left to turn, realizes his father will not want him back and finally joins the enemy. **

**Just as Azula foreshadowed by saying:**

**"enemies and traitors working together."**

**It's leading to a new era - where Zuko will finally humble himself and be the man he has to be.**

**This is set just after Zuko and Iroh have finally captured the Avatar in a small city.**

_**I don't own Avatar. Enjoy. Review. Let me know if you want more.**_

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Zhao and his men had them surrounded. Zuko (and Iroh standing by) might have finally got hold of the Avatar and his three friends, but it wasn't going to be an easy deal. Zhao would not let them win.

"We're taking the Avatar" he commanded.

"No!" Zuko yelled, eyes enflamed."You'll have to get through me first."

He stood in front of Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka. His last ticket home. His last chance to be the one to come back with honor.

Zhao wasn't phased...

"And lock up the traitors" he said to his men.

The old man beside Zuko was deeply saddened. "You do not have to do that" he said calmly, although troubled within his spirit. "Take me and let Prince Zuko go. He will not get in your way."

He put a hand on Zuko's shoulder in understanding. Hoping he would make the right choice.

Zuko didn't let up though. He took his stance. Foot forward, hands on his swords to each side of him, ready to go at any sign of further trouble. He'd made the mistake of being off his guard once with Azula. He wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"And why would I listen to you?" said Zhao bluntly.

"Because otherwise, we're not giving up the Avatar. It's been a long time Zhao." Iroh was referring both to how long they had been searching to get the Avatar and also, how long it had been since Iroh had been involved in a fight.

A fight for what he believed in. Like before his son died and he himself was general.

And now he believed in his nephew and would fight for his life.

"That's an interesting proposition Iroh." Zhao responded. "Because I have a notice from the firelord to bring you two in... dead... or alive." He stood the same as Zuko, ready to do battle.

"I don't think that is a very wise idea Zhao" Iroh said calmly, as if he was about to offer him tea.

While the firenation was focusing on taking out each other, no one had noticed Momo come to chew off "the enemy's" ropes.

Zhao paused for a moment and his men waited for his command. "Don't harm the Avatar" he said to them. Then shot fire out to Iroh who dodged it within nanoseconds.

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The scene exploded with action. Zuko having to take down the men around him before he could get involved between Iroh and Zhao. Iroh was out of practice and it was showing.

Plus, all those years of drinking tea and relaxing, showing as he huffed and puffed after a few heavy minutes of fighting.

Although he was letting Zhao do all the work, Zuko got the feeling he wasn't fighting back and knew he would have to step in.

But the firenation army kept coming at him. There were so many.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Avatar and his friends taking down firenation army members as well and stepped forward sticking his broadswords into a man and then pulling them back out again and swinging around.

Zhao had confirmation now. Confirmation of his secret identity. He knew who Zuko really was and wanted to finish off Iroh so he could get to the young prince himself.

Anger fueled at how Zuko humilated him like that when he had the Avatar the last time. Within his grasp... only to be released by a traitor.

Zhao finished the job. Sending a whip of lightening right to his heart. The old man falling to the ground. Lifeless.

"Uncle!" Came a yell, more men falling at his sword. Zuko pulled his sword out again and rushed at Zhao, Zhao drew his own sword.

Glint for glint, they hit each others blades with ferocity.

Both gritting their teeth with force, trying to outmatch the other as they leaned their weight on each other's weapon.

But Zuko's unyeilding disposition won out in the end and he overpowered the brute man, sending him to the ground.

He stood over him. No mercy. He'd given up rights to that a long time ago.

Zoku put a sword at his neck and slit into him... but Zhao wasn't giving up that easily. In one final blow, piercing his neck, Zhao stabbed out. Zuko brought the sword in deeper and blood dripped from Zhao's mouth.

When everything went black.

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**If anyone has read my fic "Fun in Ticking Zuko Off" - this is set shortly after this pivotal moment.**

**If something like this doesn't happen in the show eventually (because it's so obvious it will), I'll eat my cat (which is good cause I don't have a cat).**

**Press review. Or I'll give up writing. :P**


	2. Enemies

**From where we left off...**

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"Help me get him on Appa." Aang said trying to drag the boy.

"What are you CRAZY!" Screetched Sokka at Aang putting his boomerang back on the pouch after they were just involved in the biggest battle since the Northern Water Tribe's last stand. "Did you just miss the part say... over the last couple of months of him... TRYING TO KILL US!"

"Sokka" Katara put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I know what he's done. But Aang only has this one last chance to learn firebending. He can teach him. We're going to have to take this chance."

There was an unspeakable bond between Katara and Aang and he found that she always spoke in sync with him, even when he wasn't saying anything.

Sokka grasped his hair in despair. "Argh! We're not supposed to help the enemy!"

Toph bended out a cut of the earth below Zuko and lifted it up to place him gently on Appa before bending the earth back in place.

"I mean what if he doesn't even want to teach you!" He continued ranting to Aang, remembering difficulties before with his last firebending instructor who refused flat out.

"It's OK. We have three powerful benders and he's got no where to run." Toph said, spinning her head to Sokka's direction. "Oh, and Sokka of course."

She grinned and Sokka just yelled out again, pulling at his hair. "Argh!"

"Keep doing that and you're going to go bald, Ponytail." Katara said boarding Appa.

"We can't leave him" said Toph directly not getting on Appa herself.

"What?" Said Katara, almost ready for a fight.

"His uncle. We can't leave him here."

Aang looked sadly to Toph. "He's dead Toph."

"I know. But I just know if it was me" she said speaking of Zuko "I wouldn't want to not be able to say goodbye."

"That's touching" said Sokka. "But can we just go?"

"Toph's right."

"WHAT!" Exclaimed Katara and Sokka together.

Toph smiled and Aang got down, and did the same earthbending technique Toph just did on Iroh's body. They all climbed aboard.

"Nice bending"

"Yip, yip."

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Zuko awoke a little woozily the next day. He'd lost a little blood. Not a lot, as the neck wound didn't puncture any veins or arteries.

He was hostage in what seemed to be an earthen tent. No exits or entrances anywhere.

Angrily he shot fire up. But it was useless. He was trapped.

Remembering what happened, he started tearing up. His uncle. His last connection.

Now he was truly alone.

Tears flowed fast and furious.

He felt a tap at the side of the earth tent.

"Umm... Zuko?" came a voice. A young voice. The Avatar. "I need you to teach me how to firebend."

Zuko was in pain. "I'm not teaching you anything."

"Yeah... you see... I think you will..." came another voice. An older boy. The water tribe boy. "You have no where to run and if you want Katara to heal you. You're going to have to give us something."

He was beat.

The stone walls came down. Four faces stood over him. Aang, the Avatar held out his hand to the injured teen.

"So when do we start teacher Zuko?" He said as respectibly as he could.

Zuko winced in the sunlight and he cast his face to the ground, not taking Aang's hand. "Tomorrow."

He turned around. Just wanting to be alone. Yep. His life had been anything but humbling lately.

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**As I said before: _Fun in Ticking off Zuko_ comes directly from this two-shot. Read it. Review it. And this. Make Appa happy. And make Momo happy reviewing the first Mokka fic _"Some Sokkaly Advice" _at my profile.**

**If you want me to continue this convenient "flashback" let me know! Or I'll get bored.**


	3. Note

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

Just telling everyone to go to my joke fic "The 101 on The Unshippable Tokka" (at my profile) and VOTE for the WORST ship in Avatar.

And take the Tokka challenge if you think you can write a decent Sokka/Toph fic.

Let me tell you... Tokka is no Mokka. Now that's a couple that's believable!

From CHAPTER 2 of " The 101 on The Unshippable Tokka"

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Which ship are you NOT supporting?

Tokka:

The "hey! stop picking on Sokka" ship

or

The "try anything again and you'll get hit in the head with a boulder" ship

Taang:

The "I guess you're not a weenie after all" ship

or

The "It's OK, I didn't want to be the man anyway" ship

Toko:

The "I'm not saying it until you say it first" ship

or

The "at least you're not a sympathetic wuss like Aang or Katara" ship

Zutara:

The "Zuko gets punked by the Avatar State" ship

or

The "I can't stand you, so it makes for hot passion later" ship

Kataang:

The "if I keep up the puppy dog eyes, do you think she'll keep hugging me?" ship

or

The "I've denied I find him cute since episode one, who's going to stop me now?" ship

Sukko:

The "only if you show your feminine side" ship

or

The "hey, maybe I look kinda hot fighting in a dress" ship

Ty Lokka:

The "we're both cute, bubbly, so what if we can't bend?" ship

or

The "if Azula finds out, I'll let her have a turn" ship

Also, Toko fans I've written another addition to "Toph's crush: Tea, Talks and Pai Sho" - the last chapter will go up as soon as it's requested.

Thanks for keeping me writing.

I feed off your ideas and reviews.

Thanks again!

J "not to be punked later by Zutara fans - I'm on your side!" L


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